jam2 mun6 zau2飲悶酒饮闷酒
Jyutpingjam2 mun6 zau2
Yaleyám muhn jáu
Definition
To drink alone, especially when feeling down or bored.
colloquialdrinkemotion
How it's used
Carries a strong connotation of loneliness or emotional distress rather than just the act of consuming alcohol solo. It implies that the person is drinking to cope with sadness or boredom, often in a self-pitying or melancholy state. It is rarely used to describe someone simply enjoying a quiet drink by themselves at a bar.
Examples
Why are you sitting there drinking alone?
He has been drinking alone a lot since his breakup.
Related words
Common phrases
always drinking alone to cope
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone having a casual drink alone at home to relax, as it specifically highlights a negative or somber mood.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
